Something that a lot of people don't realize is how many free art galleries the Pittsburgh area has. Many are located right downtown in the Cultural Trust. This is one of those galleries. While there is a lot of signage, I still feel it is well hidden because it is above the T station and people think the only thing there is the T. You need to take an elevator up to the exhibit from an entrance on the side. The exhibits vary greatly and change regularly, so if you don't enjoy what is currently there, the next one might be of interest. Still, it is worth visiting because it is free and you might end up discovering your new favorite artist or art medium. They do take donations, but they are not required. read more

Always worth a visit. The entrance is a little tricky to figure out, and you need to take the elevator, but once you are there, it's a creative space that hosts imaginative and provocative art. Technology usually plays a factor in most of the exhibits I've seen here, and illuminated displays are the most common. It's all free, too. On the outside, make sure you notice Flow, a light installation by Erwin Redl, and 168 Lightbulbs, by Jim Cambell. Take the escalator down a floor to see Sol Lewitt's Thirteen Geometric Figures (1984). read more

What a better way to kill a little time than at a (free) art gallery, am I right? Okay, well while Wood Street Galleries IS free, donations are gladly accepted. The galleries are located above the Wood Street Station Downtown where you'll access the gallery from the side of the station- you won't go inside as if you were heading to the T stop. The galleries are located on the above two floors so it's probably best to work your way from the 3rd floor down, but that's not what I did... The Gallery FYI is not open Monday. The exhibit we saw was Nonotak, which were a row of diamond-shaped lights hung from the ceiling which had lighting attached to it which seemed to move along to the sound playing from the speakers. It gave it a trippy feeling almost like a pumping heart. Also, it made for some really cool photographs. The other portion of the exhibit immersed you even more into the artwork You were able to step inside the piece of glass which felt like infinity lights covering you, giving you the feeling of what could only be described as "free falling". It was so cool to look around, but not down as it could easily freak you out if you aren't a fan of that kind of stuff. It was really cool to see the exhibits up close. What I loved is that the exhibits didn't take long to get through but they were both equally as fascinating. There were no crowds so we were able to take our time. The staff on each floor were super nice. And it was just a really cool day to spend an afternoon while exploring the city. Highly recommend checking out whatever exhibit is here while you're in town. read more

Who doesn't love a free art gallery? The exhibits switch out every couple of months. There have been some incredible light art installations, insects, paintings and more. Kind of tucked away at Wood Street Station but visible signage from street. With an hour lunch break I often walk over from office to check out latest work. Another place great for tourists and residents. read more

Wood Street Galleries - Wood Street Galleries. - Art Galleries Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Similar to Space, the Wood Street Gallery is free, with new exhibits every month or two. I loved when they had a Tessa Farmer exhibit here - it was real insects hanging from the ceiling, being attacked by tiny model skeleton fairies. There was also one with two live beehives that you could watch through the plexiglass as they flew in and out over the Pittsburgh streets. Sometimes I don't understand the exhibits, especially the video ones, but the gallery is definitely worth checking out, since it's free. You just might find something you like. read more

Keep an open, curious mind, or don't go. NOTE: All insects are securely under glass or plexiglass. Trust me. No one affiliated with this exhibit wants to be sued, or incur health code violations. The exhibit starts on 2nd floor with the cockroaches, and the spiders, who are shown (through a movie) doing some courtship ritual. The exhibits use a combination of movie projectors, informational signs, insects, and "peripherals " (i.e. robot) to educate visitors. The lady staffing the information desk as you exit the elevator, said the insect costume visitors are encouraged to wear, was out of commission. Someone was called in to fix it. It's supposed to give one an insect's perspective of things. If you're a Furry, you'll love this outfit. This is really an interesting exhibit. No, seriously. I especially liked the cockroach controlled robot. When working at RIT in the departments of Mechanical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering Technology, I became very interested in the college's (award winning) robotics club's efforts. Infact, one robot on exhibit at the Science Center, was "born" at RIT. Tomorrow I'll investigate the 3rd floor's live bees exhibit, being a honey-loving lady. There's a robot mailbox for free will donations, right off the 2nd floor elevator. read more

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This is a small two floor art gallery showing contemporary art. They usually have modern video installations. I don't see a lot of new innovative art here. It seems very typical of what I expect to see. read more

Wood Street Galleries - Art Galleries Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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I visited this gallery during a PA trip in August and forgot to add my inaugural visit's review. Why add it now? More people need to know about this gallery. Art spaces that stimulate on intellectual and emotional levels are far and few, especially in the Midwest. This gallery's curated installations corrects this. After finding the entrance on the corner of Wood and Sixth, we took the elevator up to the gallery above the T-Station to immediately find a hospitable gentleman sitting quietly at a dimly lit table in a small hallway area. He explained a little about the installation and directed us around the corner to Ryoji Ikeda's audiovisual installation piece data.tron. Simply amazing. It was a total immersion within site and sound with ample room to stand or sit to fully experience the projections. If you love installation and the arts leaving this place will be bittersweet. Wood Street feeds the famine but leaves you hungry for more. read more

The Wood Street Galleries is a small gallery located in the heart of downtown above the T station. It has a layout similar to the Mattress Factory, but smaller (only two floors... usually with two to four installations per floor) and it usually, but not always has installation art. Sometimes the installations are really awe-inspiring (in my experience about 75% of the time); sometimes not so much. Admission is always FREE! Details: To get inside, you need to enter through the door at Sixth and Wood St. (pretty sure about this...). From there, take the elevator (only one and kind of small) up to the 2nd or 3rd floor, where the actual galleries are. Some advice: Try not to go during one of the quarterly Gallery Crawls because there'll be a looong line for the elevator to get in. read more

Awesome, free, installation art gallery. It's open during lunch time during the week also(Wed-Sat) so it's the perfect alternative to a lunch(Or you can go to the street cart right outside of the door!). Go into the station and take the small elevator up to the second and third floor. The staff usually won't acknowledge you, but oh well, just walk around and take a peek - the still is always pretty interesting. The current exhibit is recent icelandic art called 'Long are the Days, Short are the Nights'. There is also an another piece to this exhibition open at 943 Liberty Ave on Friday and Saturday from 11am-8pm or so called Paths. It's a pretty cool exhibit, some interesting stuff being done. I liked Paths, Converge, and Rotating Unit quite a bit read more

My wife and I live downtown. Today she was hosting a baby shower so I had some time to spare. I have been to Wood Street Gallery many times before, but I wanted to review the experience I had today. The exhibits are on the 2nd and 3rd floors. They usually have very eclectic art and encourage staying and watching or taking part. The current exhibits are audio based and very hypnotic so I wanted to zone out for a while. The exhibit on the 2nd floor is based on the interaction of water and deep, droning base. The way the speakers are set in the water creates waves in the water that are reflected on the wall behind it. It's very cool and meditative. I highly recommend you stop by Wood Street with some time and experience the current exhibit before it ends in December. read more

The gallery is right above the Wood Street T/Bus Station and can easily be missed, well at least that was the case for me. Having gone through that station at least few times a day during my college days - I never once realize there was a gallery above the station. Since last year's gallery crawl - I've gone there few times including during this year's gallery crawl. Depending on your view towards art - this place can be pretty interesting with their showcase of some unconventional art piece. Most of the time - the entire floor consists of one major art piece. This is definitely a stop for any art lovers. read more

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The Wood Street Galleries showcases new media artists from around the world. It is located on a couple floors above the T-Station. Admission is free. Sometimes the exhibits are more interesting than at other times. I recommend popping in for a few minutes or so occasionally to see what they have. read more

I wish more people knew about Wood Street Galleries! It's right in the heart of downtown and admission is FREE. you get to see great art and/or displays. Bobby and I always find ourselves here to escape the hectic downtown scene. They are closed Monday and Tuesday I believe. I'm always amazed at the different types of displays they have. Another great thing is that the displays are up for 3 months at a time, so if you really like something, you have the opportunity to go check it out again! :) read more

Over the holidays I had the chance to see the show 'Parallel Universe' at the Wood Street Gallery. I thought the show was kind of cool and I left wanting to find out more about parallel universes. But after a quick internet search I found to my surprise and disappointment that the catalog statement, credited to the curator, had been copied word for word from the Wikipedia article for 'Parallel Universe (fiction)'! Now I'm not aware of all of the ins and outs of what a curator does but I hope that he or she knows plagiarism is wrong. It really feels like a total lack of effort, honesty and professionalism. read more

This is the best gallery for installation art in Pittsburgh. We went to the recent Gregory Baarsamian show that was absolutely thrilling to watch. The works are like 3D animations that turn under a flickering strobe light that is truly mesmerizing. They consistently have great new media shows that are international in quality and one of the few galleries in the country that relates to an audience that grew up on PlayStation and Xbox. read more

Great gallery and very sweet, knoweldgable curator named Kate!